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TES: The largest network of teachers in the world
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Why is it that the use of intoxicating and addictive substances like alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco are legal but marijuana possession is a crime punishable by law? If anything, marijuana is less harmful than many other legal drugs: many people even argue that it helps to cure depression and ease the pain of chemotherapy.
Like anything, moderation is key. Sure, if you use marijuana everyday, there will be negative effects. Isn’t the same true about legal substances? If you abuse alcohol everyday, aren’t you at risk for liver failure and addiction? Cigarettes lead to lung cancer, deep fried foods lead to heart problems and obesity, and sugar leads to diabetes. Even though all that is true, you don’t see people being arrested for possession of cake.
Besides the fact that it is no worse than other legal drugs, the legalization of marijuana would be beneficial to the community. Legalization would put drug dealers out of work and out of courts, freeing the courts and jails to deal with more serious crimes, which in turn, makes the streets a safer place for everyone.
Although there are many arguments against the legalization of marijuana, such as the argument that it does harm to the user, none of these arguments pertain solely to marijuana. Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and even food, which are all legal and accepted by society, have been linked to much more dangerous side affects than marijuana.
So, why is it that marijuana is illegal?...